Citizen Engagement
The people most affected by local decisions should have a real voice in making
them. Phil is committed to making county government approachable, responsive,
and genuinely connected to the communities it serves.
- Hold monthly town halls for Phil to hear directly from residents
- Expand public comment opportunities before major votes
- Create a clear, accessible way for constituents to track commissioner actions
- Make commissioner meeting minutes easily accessible on the county website within 72 hours of the
meeting taking place
Budget Transparency
Rutherford County residents have a right to see how their tax dollars are spent — but
finding past county budgets is harder than it should be. Historical budgets are difficult
to locate, and the documents that do exist are dense and hard for anyone who is not an
accountant to understand.
- Require the county to publish at least 10 years of budget history in a single, easy-to-find location on the county website
- Produce an annual "plain language" budget summary that breaks down spending in terms residents can actually understand
- Publish a clear line-item comparison each year showing how the proposed budget differs from the prior year
